Tuesday, 29 June 2010

The true cost of our bread and yoghurt

Can you believe we all have a virus again? True. Not good. Me no likee being sick. So we're all holed up today and I will only be working part of the day. We're working on making our environment warmer - that's a hint from our doctor. Keep the heating going, as much as you can afford, even through the night. If you don't, coughs linger like they are for us at the moment!

We finally bought our second pack of strong bakers flour yesterday - so I can give you a rough idea of how much our bread is costing us per week now. It lasted nine weeks and we made an average of four-five loaves a week. The flour cost AUD$27 and the yeast cost $4 - the salt we put in is negligible. I still have 3/4 of the original salt pack left and it was less than $1. The oven is cranked twice a week to 450F for 50 mins - not sure how much that costs. But, on face value, our bread is now costing us around AUD$3.50 per week. We're amazed - so much cheaper, tastier and better for you! The flour I buy is pictured below - I am sure it would be available at most bulk stores.

The yoghurt has been a hard ride - one that I have succeeded in, finally! It is a delicious set - so much nicer than store bought or EasyYo yoghurt. It is rich and creamy. I have been putting in sugar-free fruit on the bottom of the bowls before the yoghurt sets - what I would prefer to do is be using my own fruit and stewing it...but this will have to do until I master that part.

Today I am doing one bowl of pears and another of peaches. The flavour goes throughout the yoghurt (slightly) and the fruit sits on the bottom. Our homemade yoghurt is no cheaper than the EasyYo or store bought varieties as I use the fresh cows milk that is AUD$7.50 x two litres. So, each litre of yoghurt costs at least $3.75 in milk, plus a little milk powder, sugar, $0.7c worth of culture and whatever flavouring/additions you put in. The massive bonus is, of course, it is all natural and you have made it yourself...no packaging, no additives, preservatives etc. It gives you a good feeling! It's only taken three weeks of making my own yoghurt to start 'going off' that fake sugar the manufacturers pop in everything. Before I made my own I loved the EasyYo vanilla, sweetened. But now I can't eat it (I still make it for the tot)...amazing how quickly our taste buds change!